Justification:Acanthurus leucopareius is relatively widespread and is a minor component of the fishery in Hawaii. It is not specifically targeted in any fishery. It is very common in the main Hawaiian Islands and common in the North West Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). It is found in a number of marine protected areas and is therefore listed as Least Concern.

Acanthurus leucopareius is found from the Hawaiian Islands to the Minami-tori-shima (Marcus Island), Mariana Islands and southern Japan from the Ogasawara Islands to Wakayama Prefecture, Honshu. In the Southern Hemisphere it is found from Easter Island, Pitcairn Island, Austral Islands, and Rapa to New Caledonia.

Fish biomass at the Limahuli offshore site (Hawaii) was dominated by large mobile herbivores. Surgeonfishes were the most important family by weight observed at Limahuli offshore site, followed by triggerfishes, and parrotfishes. Acanthurus leucopareius was among the top five species by weight at this site (Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program accessed 20 April 2010). This species is collected as an aquarium fish in West Hawaii. The total number of individuals caught from FY 2005-2009 was 47 with a total value of $135 (Walsh et al. 2010).

It is one of the top 17 species by weight in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). Biomass densities in the NWHI record 0.05 t ha-1 and 0.04 t ha-1 in the main Hawaiian Islands. This species along with Ctenochaetus strigosus, Acanthurus nigrofuscus and Naso lituratus accounted for 46% of the total herbivorous fish biomass and 25% of the total fish biomass in the main Hawaii Island. In the NWHI, these 4 species comprised less than 5% of total fish biomass (Friedlander and DeMartini 2002). It is a dominant fish species in Lawaii Bay, Kauai, Hawaii, biomass of 0.62 t ha-1 (Friedlander et al. 2007).

Acanthurus leucopareius inhabits rocky and coral reefs, primarily boulder-strewn areas of surge zone. It browses on filamentous algae, often in large aggregations that overwhelm the defenses of territorial damselfishes and surgeonfishes. It may mix with A. triostegus when feeding. It is classified as a grazer (Green and Bellwood 2009). The sexes are separate among the acanthurids (Reeson 1983). Acanthurids do not display obvious sexual dimorphism, males assume courtship colours (J.H. Choat pers. comm. 2010).

Acanthurus leucopareius is harvested in Hawaii where it is a minor component of the fishery (Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council accessed 20 April 2010). It is also a component of the marine aquarium trade. Online prices range from $169.95-$399.95 (L. Rocha pers. comm. 2010).

Surgeonfishes show varying degrees of habitat preference and utilization of coral reef habitats, with some species spending the majority of their life stages on coral reef while others primarily utilize seagrass beds, mangroves, algal beds, and /or rocky reefs. The majority of surgeonfishes are exclusively found on coral reef habitat, and of these, approximately 80% are experiencing a greater than 30% loss of coral reef area and degradation of coral reef habitat quality across their distributions. However, more research is needed to understand the long-term effects of coral reef habitat loss and degradation on these species' populations. Widespread coral reef loss and declining habitat conditions are particularly worrying for species that recruit into areas with live coral cover, especially as studies have shown that protection of pristine habitats facilitate the persistence of adult populations in species that have spatially separated adult and juvenile habitats (Comeros-Raynal et al. 2012).

In-Place Research, Monitoring and PlanningIn-Place Land/Water Protection and Management Conservation sites identified:Yes, over part of range Occur in at least one PA:YesIn-Place Species ManagementIn-Place Education

1. Research -> 1.2. Population size, distribution & trends1. Research -> 1.3. Life history & ecology

Friedlander, A.M. and DeMartini, E.E. 2002. Contrasts in density, size, and biomass of reef fishes between the northwestern and the main Hawaiian islands: the effects of fishing down apex predators. Marine Ecology Progress Series 230: 253-264.

Friedlander, A.M. Hunter, C., and Kreiger, S. 2007. A survey of the marine resources of Lawai Bay, Kauai, to support changes in management proposed by the National Tropical Botanical Gardens. The National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawaii.